Most business establishments today maintain some form of video surveillance to capture events, including accidents and assaults, that happen in and around their property. The key to resolving premises liability claims fairly to all concerned — the injured person and the property owner — is by determining fully what happened. Frequently, the information has been…
Continue reading ›Florida Injury Attorney Blawg
Fault is an essential element of proof in every Florida personal injury negligence case, including motor vehicle accident cases. To recover for losses (economic and property) and personal injuries, the complaining party must prove that his/her damages were caused by another party’s negligence. Although evidence of who was ticketed by the investigating law enforcement officer…
Continue reading ›By failing to comply with statutory (and regulatory) (deJesus v. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, 281 So.2d 198 (Fla.1973)), industry (Seaboard Coast Line R. Co. v. Clark, 491 So.2d 1196 (Fla. 4th DCA 1986), and company safety standards (Steinberg v. Lomenick, 531 So.2d 199 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988), rev. denied, 539 So.2d 476 (Fla.1988) and Mayo…
Continue reading ›Claims under Florida law for wrongful death are brought by the decedent’s personal representative for the benefit of the decedent’s survivors and estate. Florida Statute 768.20. A PR has the statutory authority to enter into wrongful death settlements. However, if the survivors dispute the settlement amount or apportionment, due process dictates that they be given…
Continue reading ›Individuals in Florida under 18 years of age, considered minors, do not have the legal capacity to settle personal injury claims or control the settlement proceeds. Minors are typically represented in their cases by one or both parents, who, by operation of law, are their legal guardians. In the absence of a parent or where…
Continue reading ›Comparative Fault — see Florida Statute 768.81 –and the Open & Obvious Doctrine are legal concepts that play a role in many premises liability cases. Under the principle of Comparative Fault, the jury is asked to apportion fault among the parties to a lawsuit, plaintiff and defendant(s), and others who may not even be parties…
Continue reading ›Medical bills are a strong measure of injuries and future expenses. However, due to insurance and governmental (e.g., Medicare) discounts, bills are rarely paid in full. Where the medical provider is prohibited, by contract or law, from balance billing, Plaintiffs and Defendants contest which medical expenses, the full charges or the reduced payments, may be…
Continue reading ›It is customary in Florida for those wishing to settle workers’ compensation cases to be required to execute a voluntary resignation document. Typical resignation language will make it virtually impossible for the former employee to maintain a viable claim for unemployment compensation benefits. To avoid this consequence, language must be added to the effect that…
Continue reading ›Rear-end crashes represent nearly 25% of all roadway motor vehicle accidents. The natural inclination is to blame the driver of the approaching vehicle, the one that slammed into the rear of the other vehicle. Florida law supports this notion by creating a presumption of fault against the approaching driver. Law enforcement, the courts, and personal…
Continue reading ›Our law firm and Domnick & Shevin PL, represent a Disney bus driver who was severely injured in a March 2010 crash with a Mears Transportation Group motor coach near the vehicle entrance to Epcot. He was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center after being pried from the driver’s seat of the bus. The Mears…
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